I could live on soup, especially thick, puréed ones like this butterbean and tomato soup. Cooked butterbeans have a soft, floury texture, which makes them a great soup base, though I imagine cannellini beans would work here as well.

This is one of those dishes that tastes like more effort has gone into it, which I attribute to the addition of sundried tomatoes. The recipe comes from Rose Elliot’s Vegetarian Fast Food.

Butterbean and tomato soup
(serves 4)

2 T olive oil (or oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes)

2 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2x 425g (15oz) tins whole tomatoes

2x 425g (15oz) tins butterbeans

7-8 sundried tomatoes, chopped

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and slowly fry until soft and golden.

Add the garlic and fry a couple of minutes more.

Add the tomatoes and butterbeans along with their liquid to the saucepan. Break the tomatoes up using a wooden spoon.

Add the sundried tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for about fifteen minutes.

Take the soup off the heat and allow to cool a bit before blending. Sometimes I blend it to a velvety smoothness, sometimes I leave more texture – both are nice.